Pumpkin Craving Tips

Haven’t started your Jack-o-Lantern yet? Never fear, neither have I! Well it’s tradition to start a week or two before Halloween, for me. But anyways, here’s some tips and tricks I’ve figured out to make my Jack-O-Lantern stand out.

Use depth! Take advantage that light has to travel through the pumpkin. What’s that mean? Well, make some areas thicker or thinner, as opposed to everything being a hole. It may take practice, to get right so start off simple. Instead of the eyes being one single cutout, leave behind pupils, and then carefully shave off a laver or two. So try carving different layers out, instead of a whole chunk. And if you slowly chip out your design you’re less likely to accidently knock out a part you want.

Stuck for ideas? Looking up pumpkin carvings on Google is great for inspiration, and try different search terms! If you really wanted to, you can even print out patterns, tape them to your pumpkin, use a tooth pick to poke holes where the lines are, and carve from there, but that’s not inspiration. If you find yourself intimidated by other’s skill level then try one of these methods: Try combining random animal parts-Spider eyes on a cat pumpkin? What’s your favorite series/movie/character?-Try making a pumpkin with them on it or themed around it! Carve a design!-Think Mandalas, Celtic knots or your design! I can’t really recommend any one way to get inspiration, since it comes to everyone differently. It helps to have muses though.

Messed up? I know I have! You can use a tooth pick to hold the pumpkin back together, for example if you accidently whacked it’s fang off. The tinier or thinner the pieces are, the harder it’s to fix, because the tooth pick might show up at night. Also stab at angles for best results. Sometimes mistakes become an opportunity, cheesy.. I know, but now I can fit a terrified apple in the mouth of my pumpkin.

Plan out your pumpkin. Sometimes if I have a really ambitious idea, or not sure if I know how draw what I have in mind, I’ll sketch the Jack-o-Lantern pattern out first on paper. Even if I don’t do the paper step, I’ll always lightly sketch on the pumpkin, before carving.

Think outside the box! Some of my favorite designs that I’ve seen incorporated the pumpkin’s insides too. Try using multiple pumpkins to create a scene. Maybe do a mix media pumpkin, think paint or glitter glue. It’s up to you how your pumpkin will be viewed in the day and in the dark. Maybe your pumpkin looks innocent at day, but at night looks menacing. Has your pumpkin eaten any fairies?

Well, I hope to see some great pumpkins this Halloween, Happy Halloween!